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Evan Silva

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Silva's Mid-August Top 150

I've been rolling out Top 150 Fantasy Rankings with explanations since the end of last season, but if you're new to this column here are a few things to keep in mind:

** This is not a mock draft. Some readers believed my rankings were a mock draft after publishing the July 31 Top 150. The players are separated into packs of 12 in my attempt to clarify in which round I believe each guy belongs, based on value. It's just a way of presenting rankings that I hope makes them easier to interpret.

** I don't advocate taking Jimmy Graham with the No. 2 pick. I do think drafters should begin considering Graham as soon as the running backs they like are gone. One of the best ways to gain an edge on opponents is to become familiar with Average Draft Position (ADP), which provides a great idea of where players will be selected. There is tons of ADP data in the 2013 Rotoworld Draft Guide. So while I assigned Graham the second highest player "grade" due to the enormous week-to-week advantage he offers at fantasy football's weakest position, his late-second round ADP suggests owners can secure Graham on the turn or somewhere in round two, even if several picks go by and he's still atop your value-based draft board.

** These rankings are geared toward standard scoring (non-PPR) although there are many references to points-per-reception leagues in the one-liners following each player. Differentiating between a particular player's value in standard versus PPR is not difficult. If you think they will catch a high volume of passes, move them up.

** If you play in a two-quarterback league, bump up the quarterbacks and be instinctive on draft day. Sometimes you have to draft with "feel." I'd even consider pulling all of the QBs off your primary cheatsheet and giving them their own cheatsheet. Your goal should be to secure two big-time quarterbacks in a two-QB league, and there are only(?) 12 rock-solid, reliable every-week starters. It's a deep position in standard leagues. In two-QB leagues, the opposite is true. And if you secure two top-dozen quarterbacks, you'll be able to grab dependable running backs and receivers while your opponents reach for Daltons and Schaubs.

I've been rolling out Top 150 Fantasy Rankings with explanations since the end of last season, but if you're new to this column here are a few things to keep in mind:

** This is not a mock draft. Some readers believed my rankings were a mock draft after publishing the July 31 Top 150. The players are separated into packs of 12 in my attempt to clarify in which round I believe each guy belongs, based on value. It's just a way of presenting rankings that I hope makes them easier to interpret.

** I don't advocate taking Jimmy Graham with the No. 2 pick. I do think drafters should begin considering Graham as soon as the running backs they like are gone. One of the best ways to gain an edge on opponents is to become familiar with Average Draft Position (ADP), which provides a great idea of where players will be selected. There is tons of ADP data in the 2013 Rotoworld Draft Guide. So while I assigned Graham the second highest player "grade" due to the enormous week-to-week advantage he offers at fantasy football's weakest position, his late-second round ADP suggests owners can secure Graham on the turn or somewhere in round two, even if several picks go by and he's still atop your value-based draft board.

** These rankings are geared toward standard scoring (non-PPR) although there are many references to points-per-reception leagues in the one-liners following each player. Differentiating between a particular player's value in standard versus PPR is not difficult. If you think they will catch a high volume of passes, move them up.

** If you play in a two-quarterback league, bump up the quarterbacks and be instinctive on draft day. Sometimes you have to draft with "feel." I'd even consider pulling all of the QBs off your primary cheatsheet and giving them their own cheatsheet. Your goal should be to secure two big-time quarterbacks in a two-QB league, and there are only(?) 12 rock-solid, reliable every-week starters. It's a deep position in standard leagues. In two-QB leagues, the opposite is true. And if you secure two top-dozen quarterbacks, you'll be able to grab dependable running backs and receivers while your opponents reach for Daltons and Schaubs.